- WASHINGTON (AP, AFP, Reuters)
-- US President George W. Bush issued a strong endorsement of embattled
Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld yesterday, telling him after a meeting
at the Pentagon: 'You are doing a superb job.'
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- With Mr Rumsfeld at his side, Mr Bush said his Cabinet
officer was 'courageously leading our nation in our war against terror...
You are a strong Secretary of Defence and our nation owes you a debt of
gratitude'. Advertisement
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- His comments appeared designed to head off rising speculation
that Mr Rumsfeld will resign as both men braced themselves for the anticipated
release of more pictures and video images showing Iraqi prisoners being
abused by American soldiers.
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- Mr Bush, facing indications of waning public confidence
in his senior military ranks and declining credibility abroad, went to
the Defence Department for what officials said was a previously scheduled
briefing.
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- But the session took on new significance because of the
torture and sexual humiliation of prisoners uncovered at Abu Ghraib prison.
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- Also attending yesterday's war council session at the
Pentagon were Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell
and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.
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- Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Scott
McClellan said Mr Bush had been briefed about undisclosed photos that Mr
Rumsfeld said depicted acts 'that can only be described as blatantly sadistic,
cruel and inhuman'.
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- Mr McClellan said Pentagon was looking into whether the
pictures should be released.
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- The latest picture to surface showed US soldiers apparently
setting guard dogs on a naked prisoner.
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- The prisoner's 'hands are clasped behind his neck and
he is leaning against the door to a cell, contorted with terror, as the
dogs bark a few feet away', said writer Seymour Hersh in New Yorker magazine.
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- 'In another, taken a few minutes later, the Iraqi is
lying on the ground, writhing in pain, with a soldier sitting on top of
him, knee pressed to his back. Blood is streaming from the inmate's leg.'
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- The photo was one of 20 pictures Hersh said were taken
by a soldier at the jail, CNN reported.
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- A Red Cross report, leaked yesterday, said its members
saw US officials keeping prisoners naked for days in darkness.
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- Those who were allowed to dress were given only women's
underwear.
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- Up to nine in 10 prisoners had been detained by mistake,
it said.
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- Meanwhile, US lawmakers from both parties called for
all the pictures to be released as soon as Congress received them.
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- 'One thing I know about scandals: They go on and on and
on until the American people feel they have a full and complete picture
of what happened,' Republican Senator John McCain told Fox News Sunday.
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- 'To hold back these pictures...is foolish, because they'll
leak out.'
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- Though aides said Mr Bush had not wavered in his support
of Mr Rumsfeld, an editorial in four military-oriented newspapers - the
Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times and Marine Corps Times - yesterday
said accountability was essential, 'even if that means relieving top leaders
from duty in a time of war'.
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- Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights
reserved. http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/world/story/0,4386,250303,00.html
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